From Barcelona to Tehran: Day 32

Day 32: Greece—A Huge Village; From Perveza to Astakos in Greece

May 31, 2012; Distance covered today: 91 Km; Total: 2265 Km

I couldn’t have an early start because I had gone to sleep really late, at about 3 am. Most of my time was spent on uploading pictures on my blog. So, I left the campground at 10:30. On my way, there was a submerged tunnel for fine Km. As I was wondering whether I was allowed to go through the tunnel or not, I was stopped by an official. He radioed a pick-up truck and the truck transported me and my bike to the other end of the tunnel. From there, I started again biking. All day, I biked through farms after farms after farms. There was nothing. Not even any villages to see the people. I was expecting to see villages and talk to some locals, but nothing was there. It was getting boring when I arrived in Astakos, a very small village in a valley by the coast. 

Resting

 In the early afternoon, it was too hot to keep going without a break, so I stopped on a hill, overlooking the coast. I parked the bike by a tree and went down to the water. The water was irresistible. So I took off my clothes and jumped in. It was so refreshing.

Where I took a dip in the water

According to the GPS, there should have been a campground there, but there was nothing. I was not surprised to see the controversy given the quietness of the region. I decided to look for a place to spend night in the bush. So, I bought some water and food and hit the road. Just as I was leaving the last houses in the village, I found a possible spot on the beach, I checked it out, and parked in. Although I was very close to the people, the spot was somehow hidden and I was in a very small village. People are generally nice in small towns and villages. 

Some Flowers on the Way

After pitching up my tent and washing myself in the sea, I was getting ready to cook when I saw an old woman walking leisurely on the beach. She said hi and we talked for a while. She, Catherina, asked me to walk with her on the beach. We walked to the end of the beach where there were some rocks on which there were some seashells. Catherina, taught me how to break them and eat them raw. They were delicious. After 2 minutes of hunting seashells, she invited me to have Soflakin in the village. I had to pass because I had all my stuff out and in the tent. I couldn’t leave them unguarded although she assured me that nothing would happen. I politely refused. 

The View from My Tent

The scenery is beautiful if you ignore the garbage on the shore.